How to compare web studios in Tashkent: what to look for in a portfolio, which questions to ask at the first meeting, how to read a proposal, what belongs in the contract and which signs mean you should walk away.
Businesses do not order a website or an app every year, so most owners are choosing a contractor for the first time, or close to it. There are many studios in Tashkent, prices in their proposals can differ several times over, and the difference between studios is hard to see at a first meeting. Here is how to compare web studios on substance: what to look for in a portfolio, which questions to ask, how to read a proposal and what must go into the contract.
Start by defining the task
A studio is easier to judge when you know what you want to get. You do not need a detailed specification; answering a few questions is enough:
- why you need the site: leads, sales, credibility, or replacing an outdated site;
- who your customers are and where they will come from: search, ads, Telegram, referrals;
- which features you definitely need: a catalogue, online payments, a customer portal, CRM or 1C integration;
- which languages the site should support;
- when you need it and what budget range you are prepared to spend.
With a short brief like this, every studio prices the same thing, and you can compare their proposals fairly. If you are not yet sure which format you need, start with "Landing Page or Multi-Page Website".
How to review a portfolio
Nice screenshots in a presentation tell you very little. Check the work the way a customer would see it:
- open portfolio sites through live links, not just images. If half the projects do not open, ask why;
- look at them on a smartphone: do they load quickly, are the buttons easy to tap, is the text readable;
- look for similar tasks, such as an online store, a clinic website or a CRM. Experience in your niche cuts timelines and mistakes;
- find out what exactly the studio did: the whole project, only the design, or improvements to someone else's site;
- ask for contact details of one or two clients. A five-minute call tells you more about deadlines and communication than any testimonial on a website.
Questions to ask at the first meeting
How a studio answers shows how it will work. These are worth asking every contractor:
- Who will work on the project? Does the studio have its own designers and developers, or does it outsource part of the work?
- How does the process work? What are the stages, what do you approve at each one, and how many rounds of changes are included?
- What will the site be built on? A website builder, an off-the-shelf CMS or custom code, and can you hand the site to another contractor later?
- Who prepares the copy and photos? If content is your responsibility, missing content becomes the main cause of delays.
- What SEO is included at launch? Meta tags, a sitemap, redirects from old URLs, and connecting Search Console and Yandex Webmaster.
- What happens after launch? The warranty period and the cost of changes and support.
A good studio asks plenty of questions at the first meeting: about your customers, competitors and goals. If you get a price five minutes into the conversation without them learning anything about your business, that is the price of a template, not of your project.
How to compare proposals
Proposals from different studios almost never match in scope, so comparing only the total is pointless. Put them in one table and check:
- whether the scope is the same: number of pages, languages, mockups, features and integrations;
- what is included and what costs extra: copy, photos, domain, hosting, licences, moving old content;
- how the price is calculated: a fixed sum for the whole project or hourly billing. A fixed price suits small sites better, while hourly billing is fairer for complex systems whose requirements change along the way;
- whether stages and deadlines are spelled out, or the proposal has a single line saying "website development";
- what is offered after launch.
The cheapest proposal is often cheap because of what it leaves out. We explain why in "How Much Does Website Development Cost".
What the contract should include
Verbal agreements get forgotten, and disputes happen even with honest contractors. Make sure the contract covers:
- A list of work and deliverables. Exactly what you will get: pages, features, language versions, source design files.
- Stages, deadlines and acceptance. How you sign off each stage and how many days you have to raise issues.
- Payment by stages. Usually an advance and then payments as stages are delivered. If everything is paid upfront, you lose your leverage.
- Rights to the site. Exclusive rights to the design and code pass to you once you have paid.
- Domain and hosting in your company's name. We cover which accounts should be yours in "How Not to Lose Your Domain and Website".
- A warranty. The period during which the studio fixes bugs found after launch free of charge.
- What happens if deadlines slip on either side, including when your materials are late.
Warning signs
Some signals mean you should stop and ask more questions, or look for another contractor:
- the portfolio has only images, and live links "can't be shown";
- you were given a price before anyone asked what you need;
- they want full payment before work starts;
- they offer to register the domain in the studio's name "to keep things simple";
- they promise a complex project in a few days;
- they don't want a contract, or it fits on one page with no list of work;
- they already take days to reply while you are still negotiating.
Don't forget support
A site does not stand still after launch: it needs updates, backups, fixes and new pages. Find out in advance who will handle this and what it costs. We explain what support covers and which format to choose in "Website Support After Launch".
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: a freelancer or a web studio?
A freelancer is usually cheaper and fine for small, clear tasks. A studio costs more but has a team: if one specialist falls ill or leaves, the project keeps going. For a site that drives sales, and for systems with integrations, a studio is the safer choice.
How many studios should I compare?
Three or four is usually enough. With fewer you have nothing to compare; with more you spend weeks in meetings and the proposals start to blur together.
Do I need a specification before contacting a studio?
A detailed specification is not required; the short task description above is enough. The studio can prepare a detailed spec with you at the brief stage.
Can I switch studios in the middle of a project?
Yes, if you have the access details, source code and design files. That is why these points need to be in the contract from the start.
If you are choosing a contractor right now, we are happy to go through this checklist with you: we will show you our projects, explain how we work and prepare a proposal with clearly defined stages. Contact us for a free estimate.
